It’s often times said lightheartedly that when you try to read through the Bible in a year, everything goes great until you hit the book of Leviticus. Then everything comes to an abrupt halt. Why is this? Well, for one thing, besides a few select chapters (8-10, 24), it’s not written in narrative or story form, and so is less gripping to a reader. And with all the infinitesimal details pertaining to food, health, sanitation, as well as moral, civil, and ceremonial laws, it’s easy for us to think, “Next!”? Nevertheless, there are some important themes to understand in the book of Leviticus, and some helpful advice for reading it.Â
The book of Leviticus picks up right where the book of Exodus leaves off. The Israelite people are still camped in the desert at the foot of Mount Sinai (where Moses received the 10 Commandments in Ex 20). But before God will allow them to launch out toward the conquest of Canaan (the Promised Land), He takes a full year to mold and shape them into a group of people who look more like God than like their corrupt and rundown world. Although these lifelong slaves are unaware, their two greatest dangers are (1) the environment—protection from diseases, and (2) one another—protection from injustice. And just like the 10 Commandments, the book of Leviticus focuses on getting two sets of relationship right—with God and with one another.Â
Because Leviticus is a continuation of Exodus, we must remember a key description of who and what Israel is supposed to be. God reveals that His plan for them is to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). So, as a kingdom or nation these people are to be God’s priests to the world. A priest represents two parties—in this case, God to the world, and the world to God. Yet, in order for the Israelites to be God’s priests, they must bear His likeness. Hence, we have one of the key passages in the book, “be holy, because I am holy” (11:44). They cannot be God’s viceroys to a dieing world without bearing a certain resemblance to Him. In fact, the people discovered that being holy (or like God) involves “[loving] your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev 19:18).Â
The New Testament:
Jesus’ ministry and interaction with the religious leaders of his day makes much more sense in light of Leviticus.Â
-Jesus picked up on the command to love and pursue the good of our neighbor as we do ourselves, calling it the second greatest command (Mark 12:31), as did Jesus’ followers (Rom 13:8-10). Jesus taught that to love God involves loving what He loves; and the object of His love is those who are separated from Himself.  -Jesus reminded his hearers that God’s concern for cleanliness had to do primarily with the heart or soul. He chided the teachers of the law and Pharisees for only being concerned about the cleanliness of the outward appearances, likening them to tombs which were beautifully adorned on the outside but stuffed with putrid, decaying corpses on the inside (Matthew 23:27).
- Jesus echoed the principle found in the Levitical burnt offering (Lev 1): if you are to live, something must die in your place (see Ex 12:1-30). Jesus asserted that it was his life which must “suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).
While the book of Leviticus can seem arduous and require some persistence to get though, it does give us insight into both the Jewish world into which Jesus came, as well as the seriousness that God places on right relationship with Himself. I remember hearing someone say that when they walked away after reading Leviticus all they got was a messy picture of so many blood-spattered sacrifices. If that’s all you get out of it, for starters . . . that’s okay. In the book we do encounter a gory depiction of how serious, how messy, and how costly our sin really is. But more than all that, we’re left saying, along with the Apostle Paul, “What a wretched person I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25). The Gospel or “good news” of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is only “good news” when we understand where we would be without Jesus.Other Important Themes/Elements Leviticus:
– Ch. 16 contains instructions for observing Yom (day) Kippur (atonement), the most solemn day of the Jewish calendar (occurs 10 days after Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, in Sept. or Oct.).
- Ch. 10 recounts how the two sons of Aaron (the first priest) died because they failed to follow the clear rules God set up for how sacrifices were to be done. God communicates to us just how much he cares about proper worship.
For helpful tips of how to read and understand the book of Leviticus (as well as other books in the Bible), see Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart’s book, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, (Zondervan, 2002).
4 Comments on “Understanding the book of Leviticus”
I am reading Leviticus right now!! (it is tough stuff)–this discussion was helpful.
I also believe that Leviticus 17:10-12 helps us to unlock Hebrews 9:18-28. “The life of the creature is in the blood.” That foreshadows directly in Hebrews, the phrase “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.” This is why Jesus had to die with a blood sacrifice for sin. He fulfilled the entire law.
If Jesus fulfilled the law, He expects us to know how He fulfilled that and how it applies to our life.
Leviticus is about the redemption of ruined man. It shows us in pictorial form what God expects from those who have been redeemed.
I would highly recommend for those interested in searching God’s word themselves to consider Kay Arthur’s 7 week Precept upon Precept study of the book. It changed my life, and I use it as a foundation for much of my personal study of Scripture as well as my teaching now.
It concerns me that we have lost sight of and respect for the “Holiness” of God. Leviticus studied well will bring you, not to your knees, but to your face, before Him.
The old testament, in it’s entirety (sp?) is difficult for me to read for multiple reasons. I dislike so much of how God is ‘portrayed’. Coming from an abusive childhood and adolescence, I’d had enough of the word Father being about bloodshed. It’s also so hard for me to accept what was acceptable in the old testament, with marriage, affairs, etc. The role of women and how they were treated for the most part caused great sorrow for me because it caused me and many others feel less human then men. Less important to God. I know these are very juvenile feelings, but nonetheless, taking what I came from and a couple ‘bad’ churches….I still am unable to read much from the Old Testament. When the time is right I’m sure I’ll be able to. I dont want to be afraid of God (different then God Fearing). I want to Know God. Make any sense?
Melody, unfortunately what we so desperately “miss” in the Old Testament books is God’s desire to be “with” His people. He longs to be “known” and the “know” you.
When He set aside Israel as an “example” to the nations for what was/is necessary to be in the presence of a Holy God, it does at times seem somewhat severe when they were disobedient, but God longed for their faith and obedience. He had to teach them how to provide an “environment” where He could dwell among them. This relationship was lost in Eden, and since then, He has been unveiling His plan to restore what was lost there. Holy means: sanctify, dedicate, consecrate, set apart. God is Holy and therefore we too shall be holy.
This is God’s plan for us as believers, to be sanctified and set apart from the world. The laws and commands given in the Old Testament were to protect His people, not to be a burden, but Israel had to understand that on their own, they were without hope, they simply could not keep the commandments, even though time and time again they stated they would. All of this was part of the progressive story leading to the coming of Christ. And, without Christ in our lives, we STILL fall under the condemnation of the law.
In Leviticus, we are given the details as to how God WILL “tabernacle” among us. He went to great efforts to “protect” those coming near Him so they wouldn’t be destroyed by His glory and perfection. Think of Moses on the Mount and when God passed by him, hiding Moses in the crevis so as to not destroy him with His presence passing by. (Exodus 33:12-33)
As for the “punishment” for sin in the Old Testament, for all but one sin committed, there was the option of having a “REDEEMER” for the insult. The ONLY sin that required the death of another was that of INTENTIONAL MURDER, for this, the life of the one committing the murder was demanded. This impacts on us that satan is the father of lies, he is a murderer, and will be dealt with in such a way at the second coming, for him, there is NO redemption.
God has gone to great detail to assure us of our salvation, it began in the Old Testament, to bring understanding and longing for the “perfect” relationship He once shared with us, and one we WILL share again in fullness, but for now, we live in bodies of flesh that battle with the spirit of the new man. (Romans 7)
The Old Testatment is a love story. We are exposed to the deep passion and desire of God for us. He is relentless in His efforts to protect His people and to bless them with abundance. We feel His tears, we are exposed to His righteous jealousy, and we see Him continue to unfold His plan for eternal redemption. The plan was established before the foundation of the world, and will be fulfilled in His second coming.
I hope you can find yourself returning at some point to the Old Testatment and discovering how God has been fighting for you and for all the abuse that has been dealt to you. He declares that vengeance is His, and for any that have exploited those who belong to Him, there is no place for them to hide.